An image processing apparatus has a configuration in which contents-data received via a TV receiving unit is recorded in a main recording apparatus. When the proportion of use in all of storage capacity of the main recording apparatus exceeds a threshold, a system controlling unit determines reproduction priority on the basis of reproduction frequency Sx indicative of preference of a user, compresses contents-data having low reproduction priority, records the compressed contents-data into an auxiliary recording apparatus, and deletes the contents-data from the main recording apparatus. In such a manner, while making the preference of the user reflected, the contents-data in the main recording apparatus can be managed.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An image processing apparatus comprising: a recording device which records a plurality of pieces of contents-data including at least image data; a decoding device which reads said contents-data, decodes the read contents-data, and outputs an image signal corresponding to the read contents-data; a calculating device which calculates reproduction preference information as a reproduction frequency indicative of reproduction desire of a user for said contents-data on the basis of state information, including an un-reproduced state, a reproduced state, and an erased state indicative of at least one of a recording state or a reproduction state of said plurality of pieces of contents-data; a selecting device which, when a recording amount of said recording device exceeds a predetermined value, selects at least one piece of said plurality of pieces of contents-data recorded in said recording device, to be erased, on the basis of said reproduction preference information; and an erasing device which erases said contents-data selected by said selecting device from said recording device.
2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said calculating device calculates said reproduction preference information on the basis of said state information including at least regret information indicating whether or not the user regrets having erased the contents-data selected by said selecting device from said recording device.
3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a communicating device which receives said contents-data, wherein data received by said communication device is recorded as said contents-data by said recording device.
4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a reading device which reads said contents-data recorded in an external recording apparatus, wherein said recording device records the data read by said recording device as said contents-data.
5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: an auxiliary recording device which is provided for assisting said recording device and in which the second contents-data different from said contents-data is recorded; and a writing device which writes contents-data selected by said selecting device as said second contents-data into said auxiliary recording device.
6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said writing device comprises: a re-decoding device which decodes contents-data selected by said selecting device into an image signal; a generating device which generates said second contents-data having said decoded image signal for which a recording amount is less than that of the contents-data recorded in said recording device; and a data writing device which writes said generated second contents-data into said auxiliary recording device.
7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said generating device generates said second contents-data by encoding said decoded image signal by a step larger than a quantizing step used for said contents-data.
8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said generating device generates said second contents-data by performing a frame reducing compressing process of reducing predetermined frames from a plurality of frames constructing said contents-data.
9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said generating device generates said second contents-data by performing said frame reducing compressing process by reducing frames for which influence on a picture is small at the time of decoding from a plurality of frames constructing said contents-data.
10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said writing device decodes said contents-data, converts the contents-data into said second contents-data by performing a re-encoding compressing process of re-encoding the decoded contents-data by a method different from the method of encoding the contents-data, and writes the converted second contents-data into said auxiliary recording device.
11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said auxiliary recording device comprises: an exchangeable recording medium; and a drive which reads/writes data from/to said recording medium.
12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the case where contents-data selected by said selecting device is written as said second contents-data in said auxiliary recording device, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, said writing device decreases a ratio of said second contents-data already written, and re-records the resultant contents-data into said auxiliary recording device.
13. An image data managing method comprising: a calculating process which calculates reproduction preference information as a reproduction frequency indicative of reproduction desire of a user for said contents-data on the basis of state information, including an un-reproduced state, a reproduced state, and an erased state, indicative of at least one of a recording state or a reproduction state corresponding to a plurality of pieces of contents-data including at least image data recorded in a recording device; a selecting process which, when a recording amount of said recording device exceeds a predetermined value, selects at least one piece of said plurality of pieces of contents-data recorded in said recording device, to be erased, on the basis of said reproduction preference information; and an erasing process which erases said contents-data selected in said selecting process from said recording device.
14. A computer-readable information recording medium on which an image data managing program is recorded, wherein said image data managing program manages image data by a computer, and makes said computer function as: a calculating device which calculates reproduction preference information as a reproduction frequency indicative of reproduction desire of a user for said contents-data on the basis of state information, including an un-reproduced state, a reproduced state, and an erased state indicative of at least one of a recording state or a reproduction state corresponding to a plurality of pieces of contents-data including at least image data recorded in a recording device; a selecting device which, when a recording amount of said recording device exceeds a predetermined value, selects at least one piece of said plurality of pieces of contents-data recorded in said recording device, to be erased, on the basis of said reproduction preference information; and an erasing device which erases said contents-data selected by said selecting device from said recording device.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
October 13, 2004
April 28, 2009
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